This and that

Monday, October 15, 2012

Pumpkin Spiced Latte

There are many recipes out there for pumpkin spice latte.

This one has something special in it.... A pumpkin spice kiss.

It also has the wonderful flavour of Don Tomas Coffee.

It just makes it a little more special.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients:

5 oz evaporated milk

1 tbsp condensed milk

2 tbsp pumpkin puree

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1 pumpkin spice Hershey kiss

1 cup strong coffee ( I used Don Tomas Coffee)

cool whip or whipped cream (optional)

nutmeg to sprinkle on top (optional)

Place evaporated milk, condensed milk, pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice in small pot. Whisk and heat over medium heat until milk becomes frothy. I whisk the milk the whole time. In coffee cup place a pumpkin spice hershey kiss, add milk mixture and hot coffee until cup is filled. Whisk again to melt the pumpkin spice hershey kiss. Add cool whip or whipped cream if desired and sprinkle with nutmeg. Enjoy!

* If the pumpkin spice Hershey kiss doesn't melt completely.. that is ok, It tastes good at the end of your coffee.

I was given a sample of Don Tomas Coffee along with other members of Foodie Friends Friday to review. As I don't drink that much coffee anymore I decided to make a speciality coffee and this is what I came up with. I was pleasantly surprised of the robust taste that Don Tomas Coffee has and I made the coffee very strong to put into this drink. I find that many coffees if you make them strong, they are bitter but not this one. It has a great flavour and wonderful taste. I will be doing a more thorough review of this coffee when Foodie Friends Friday has their Coffee Party on November 16th. My plans are also to do some baking with this coffee and I am also going to have guest over, so that I can serve it and get more reviews.

Links Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Foodie Friends Friday, Tasty Thursdays, Sweet Confession Sunday Link Party

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Eggplant Lasagna - YEAH or NAY

If you have been following me here on my blog or on facebook... you have heard that we planted eggplants this year and they GREW! We only planted 2 plants but they were plentiful and eggplants is something that you can't giveaway to everyone.

I like eggplants but my husband isn't that keen... although he will eat some of what I make. I have been trying to come up with new recipes to use them up...
I might have to do some more working on this recipe... It had lots of flavour, but I am not sure about the eggplant... I am thinking I should have cooked it just a little bit before I put it into the lasagna as it still was a little bit tough. If anyone has any suggestions, please, please leave me a comment.

Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients:

3 small eggplants - sliced in thin slices

salt

1/3 cup onions diced

1 lb ground turkey - you could also use ground beef you like

1 garlic clove diced

1 jar pasta sauce or marinara sauce - 15 oz

1 tbsp italian seasoning

1 15 oz ricotta cheese

1 tbsp parsley

1 egg

2 cups mozzarella cheese - shredded

parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Slice eggplants and sprinkle salt on them and let sit while turkey mixture is cooking. Prior to using, rinse off salt and dry eggplant slices.

In saucepan, cook ground turkey until no longer pink, add onions and garlic and cook until both are translucence. Add pasta or marinara sauce and italian seasoning. Continue to cook for approximately 10 minutes. In separate bowl mix ricotta cheese, egg and parsley.

Start layering lasagna, first with turkey mixture, eggplant slices, ricotta cheese mixture and then mozzarella cheese. Continue to layer for 2 -3 layers, depending on your sauce. I like to end with meat mixture and mozzarella. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over top. Bake for 1 hour in 350 degree oven.

* my layers are meat mixture, eggplant, ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese, meat mixture, eggplant, ricotta cheese, meat mixture, mozzarella cheese and then parmesan cheese.

* the first time I ate it, my lasagna was more like a soup as there was a lot of liquid, after serving it I tried to get rid of some of the liquid and put it in the refrigerator.. The second time we ate it, the lasagna looked like lasagna and had no extra liquid in it. I am not sure if cooking the eggplants in the oven for 20 minutes would help this or not. I think the next time I make it I will try that.

Ingredients. I received the Mia's Kitchen Bistro Marinara from my
September Foodie PenPal

Getting ready for my layering

ready to go in the oven

Doesn't look much like lasagna but tastes very good.

Looks more like a lasagna the second time we ate it.

For me the eggplant lasagna was a YEAH! I really enjoyed it even though the first time I ate it looked more like a soup or sauce and the eggplants had to be cut by a knife. My husband thoughts were not quite a NAY but not sure if he will eat it again.. he did have it the second time but I ate it totally 3 times :). So for you is it YEAH or NAY!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Foodie Friends Friday ~ October 11/12

Another Week,

Another Recipe

and

Great Recipes we have here on Foodie Friends Friday

Last week had 152 recipes linked

everything that you need at one stop

So come and join us again this week for another terrific party!

We also have another

Great Giveaway! and open International as prize is emailed !

But first week need to take a look at last weeks winners:

Host Favorite... Honey ButterFinger Bites

If you follow my blog, you know that I pick one recipe to be my host favorite and I try to make it before the next Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party. Last week, I found Honey-Butter Finger Bites from The Nerdy Farm Wife. I am not sure if I have ever eaten butterfingers as I can't remember and I am sure that isn't possible for me not to have tried them as I have eaten every type of candy there is.... but I don't remember what they taste like. But this recipe intrigued me and it only had 3 ingredients. I also love Nerdy Farm Wife's picture of them with the fallen leaves... So great.
The only thing about this recipe that I needed to change was the peanut butter. We have a peanut sensitivity in the house, so I try very hard to stay away from it, so I decided that biscoff would work great and I also had some nutella. That is what I am going to try and both worked. The biscoff bites were soft and chewy... just how I liked them and the nutella were harder... they also were good and I didn't put chocolate on the nutella ones.

Honey Biscoff/Nutella Butterfinger Bites

Honey Biscoff/Nutella Butterfinger Bites

adapted from The Nerdy Farm Wife

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup peanut butter - I used crunchy biscoff in one recipe and nutella in another

chocolate chips for coating - I used Ghirardelli 60% chocolate

Place honey in saucepan and bring to a soft boil stage, (around 275 degrees). Remove from heat and add either biscoff or nutella and stir for a few minutes. Pour in pan that is covered with parchment paper. Place in refrigerator to harden. I took mine out after about 15 minutes to score so that it will be easier to cut when they hardened. Once hard, bring out of fridge and break or cut into pieces. Dip in melted chocolate and place back on pan covered with parchment paper and return to fridge to harden again.

I didn't dip the bites that I made with the nutella as I thought the chocolate in the nutella was enough. The ones that I made with biscoff were softer than the ones that I made with nutella.

Bites made with biscoff and dipped in chocolate

the bites made with nutella

Enjoy

Monday, October 8, 2012

Butter Tarts and Canadian Thanksgiving

Today, October 8, 2012, the second Monday in October is Canadian Thanksgiving. Yes, Canada has a thanksgiving and it is in October not November like the American Thanksgiving. Did you know that 48 years before the pilgrims gave their thanks in 1621, Martin Frobisher an English explorer held a formal ceremony to give thanks for surviving his long journey to Canada. This ceremony took place in what is known as Newfoundland, in 1578.

The origins of Canadian thanksgiving is more closely connect to the traditions of the European then the Americans. The Europeans had celebrations to thank for the bountiful harvest for many years and this celebration was in October. In Canada for a few hundred years, Thanksgiving was celebrated in late October or early November. It was declared a national holiday in 1879 and at that time November 6th was the day set aside for Thanksgiving. It was on January 31, 1957 that the Canadian Parliament announced that on the second Monday of October, Thanksgiving would be

"A Day of General Thanksgiving to

Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with

which Canada has been blessed...to be

observed on the second Monday in October."

Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving with parades, gatherings of family and friends, pumpkin pies seasonal products and lots and lots of Turkey. Now the meals consist of other foods particularly if the family is of non-European descent. Do you have a tradition that you carry out when you celebrate Thanksgiving? If you do I would like to know.

Growing up my family always had a Thanksgiving meal of turkey with all the trimmings and pumpkin pie. We would at times either get together with my mom or dad's family or have them over. Now as we have grown older and have our own family and live in different parts of the country and the world it is harder to get together. Although the ones that are still living around where we grew up, still get together during the Thanksgiving weekend.

My own celebration of Thanksgiving is kind of hit or miss, depending if I have to work or not. As my husband is Togolese, we really don't have any tradition. This year I did make a bigger meal of cornish hens and a couple of sides. I also made Butter Tarts....something that I think is truly Canadian and something that I have been craving for a long time. I love Butter Tarts and I think this is the first time that my husband tried them and he also said "they aren't bad."

Butter Tarts

adapted for the Lucky Lake Community Rink Cookbook

Ingredients:

Pie crust - either bought or homemade

1/3 cup butter (or margarine)

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp milk or cream

1 egg, well beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup raisins (or currants)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Makes 12 tarts

Spray muffin tins with Pam. Roll out pie crust and cut into 5 inch circles and place in muffin tins. Prick bottom of dough. Set muffin tin aside.

In mixing bowl, mix butter and brown sugar together. Add milk and egg and beat until well mix. Add vanilla and then mix in raisins. I measure raisins and let sit in hot water until I am ready to use, drain water and then add to sugar mixture. Fill tart shells about 2/3 full.

Place in oven, bake for 8 minutes at 450 degree oven. Reduce heat to 350 degree and continue to bake until pastry is brown. Enjoy!

Enjoy!

information about Thanksgiving:

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/2614-canadian-thanksgiving

http://www.craimarlatt.com/canada/symbols_facts&list/thanksgiving.html

http://www.timeanddate.com/holiday/canada/thanksgiving-day

Links: Sweet Confession Sunday Link Party, Foodie Friends Friday,Freedom Fridays, You're Gonna Love It

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Foodie Friends Friday October 4/12

It is Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party time again!

Are you ready for a great party!

Great Recipes!

Great Sponsors and Giveaways!

Great Bloggers!

This week's party is sponsored by The LoveBug Collection

But first let's look at last week's party and winners

Sponsor Winners

Most Clicks

Cozycakes Cottages Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Spaghetti
Sweet Heat Chefs Swirly Pumpkin Brownies
Sweet Heat Chefs Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Voted Top 3

Cozycakes Cottages - Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Spaghetti
Twirl and Taste Blue Ribbon Cake
Hungry Couple Pumpkin Crumb Cake

Host Favorite
This weeks host favorite goes to Cooking to Perfection - Pumpkin Biscoff Cookies

my post for these cookies... Pumpkin Biscoff Cookies

Add Button to your blog

Now onto this week's Party

We are again going to have rafflecopter for the giveaway

Remember to fill out the rafflecoptor to get your name into the giveaway

You do not have to link up a recipe but it will increase your chance.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Member

When you link up your recipe, it will be linked to all these great blogs.

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsviewathome.blogspot.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Cindy at Cindys Recipes and Writings  http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.blogspot.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar http://www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com

Erika at Chef Picky Kid http://www.chefpickykid.com

Amber at Mamas Blissful Bites  http://www.mamasblissfulbites.com

Rules

Please remember to link up your recipes to Foodie Friends Friday

and the host blog that you linked up with.

Pumpkin, Biscoff YUM and in a Cookie.....

When I saw this recipe on last week's Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party... I just knew that I had to make them. For one thing they had pumpkin, second biscoff and then third I can add whatever my little heart desired to make them mine. They had everything I loved in a recipe. And I had to make them right now, no waiting, no hesitating but right now... But first I need to make a quick trip to the grocery store to find some Hershey Pumpkin Spice kisses as that is what I wanted to put on them for sure.... Well, the grocery store didn't have them and I really didn't want to run 14 miles to Wally-world to get them so I thought I would stop in Shopko to see if they by chance had them... SCORE! they did... I did have to buy more then one package and a few other candies... Harvest M&M's and Candy Corn M&M's but those will be used for the next great discovery..
Onto where I found these great morsels... I found them at Cooking to Perfection.

Pumpkin Biscoff Cookies

adapted from Cooking to Perfection

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup biscoff spread

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup turbinado sugar ( I didn't have any brown sugar)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup Pure Pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
optional:
dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, pumpkin spice kisses
Icing:
4 oz cream cheese
2 tsp butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp Oregon Chai Tea Latte Concentrate

* note links on some of the ingredients are so if you haven't seen these ingredients you would know what to look for, they are not where I buy them from.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with baking mats or parchment paper.
In mixing bowl, add butter, biscoff spread and sugars, cream for 1 -2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Mix in Pumpkin making sure to scrape sides and mix thoroughly.
In separate bowl mix cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt and flour. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend until just combined, do not over mix. Add optional ingredients of cranberries, white and milk chocolate chips.
I added the cranberries and white and milk chocolate chips to half the mixture and left the rest as original. Drop large tablespoon size dough onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes until set (they should not be brown).
If using kisses, unwrap kisses before cookies are ready to come out of the oven and once out place on top of baked cookie pressing slightly. Do this while warm or they won't stay on cookie. I use the original mixture for the cookies with the kisses on.
Mix icing ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. Place small amount of icing on top of cookie once cooled. I iced the plan and some of the cookies that I put the dried cranberries and chips in. Enjoy, I bet you can't eat just one.